Former Spurs keeper Paul Robinson has claimed that Hugo Lloris has actually gone worse this season.
Lloris has been a long-time servant at Spurs having made 437 apps over the last decade. He has been captaining the North London club since 2015.
However, his performances this season have been heavily criticised. He has had a shaky start to the season, making numerous errors, most notably in the game against Newcastle, for which he was directly responsible. Pundits made some harsh remarks. Garth Crooks stated that Spurs will ‘win nothing‘ as long as the Frenchman is in goal, while Jamie Carragher urged Conte to replace the keeper who is ‘not good enough‘ to take Spurs to the next level.
And Robinson believes the 35-year-old is past his prime and is making too many errors. Speaking to Stadium Astro yesterday, ahead of France’s World Cup opener against Australia, he said:
“Listen, you talk about one of the world’s best – no he’s not one of the world’s best. But you look at the honours he’s got, the World Cup he’s won. I don’t think he’s at the level that he set when he first came to Tottenham.”
“He’s got errors in him, he’s error prone at times. There’s question marks about him coming for crosses and the ball around his feet. But you look at the defence he’s behind and the team he plays in. He’s aged and he’s experienced now.
“I look at the two [France] goalkeepers behind him on the bench, [Alphonse] Areola and [Steve] Mandanda, he’s got no competition in that squad whatsoever. Those two goalkeepers are not good enough to challenge him.
“For me, [Illan] Meslier at Leeds should be in that squad. Areola’s hardly played this season, Meslier would come in and challenge Lloris as a number one.”
Robinson further added that Lloris is past his best and believes he is no longer a world-class player.
He said:
“I think Hugo is coming to the end of his career, he’s not at the end, he’s still got a lot to give. But I think at Tottenham you see a lot of mistakes coming in more regularly.”
“He’s always had that mistake if you like, there’s never been that air of confidence around him. He seems to be very quiet. He makes the odd mistake, but now there’s more and more coming in.
“Saying that, you give him credit for his longevity at Tottenham. He’s the best goalkeeper Tottenham have had for a long time. I think his quality and what he brings to the team and the confidence he brings to the team is there.
“You can’t underestimate what he’s done in his career. Is he in the top, world bracket of goalkeepers? The Neuers, Edersons, Alissons. He sits underneath it for me.”
It has been reported that the club has started the search for a long-term replacement for Hugo Lloris with the likes of Jordan Pickford, Illan Meslier, Jan Oblak, and David Raya all linked over the past month or so.
